'Thank You Lord For Your Love'

Good Morning Little Flock,

I pray that you’re not having the problems I am with this pc. (smile) It seems as thought I can’t stay on line now and my mail program is frozen up so bad that I can’t even see the mail.. All I get is the hour glass and I have to restart this pc to get it off... eeeeeeeel! Some of you will remember that this problem happened earlier this year and it was about two or three week before I could receive or send any mail.. At least them I could go to the Volaris site and read and reply that way.. But now Earthlink is taking over and I can’t go and even see the mail.. I guess it is getting kick back because it is now full... Isn’t that a kick in the head???

I hope that those of you who are on my email list remembered to come over here and read my thoughts because I can’t send them to you all... I have just felt like throwing this pc out the window and forget it for awhile.. (smile) But you know I praise God for this time off so I can work on the Heaven Bound site.. I have almost totally neglected it now for the last two years..

Oh, Yea! This month, don’t know the exact day, but December 2002 celebrates two years I have been the online missionary for the Allegre Missionary Baptist Church.. Hard to believe we have been doing this ministry that long already isn’t it? I most certainly Praise God for allowing me to serve Him with this online ministry.. It has been such a blessing to me and I pray that you have been blessed by this thought page and the other pages on here... One thing for sure. It has been a humbling experience for me... And how we have grown with the daily email list of nearly 400 strong and 55 on the Jim’s prayer warrior’s prayer team... God has and is continuing to bless this ministry and we are truly growing and seeing new members, joining almost daily.

I am so grateful for each and everyone of you, my little flock and I pray that you will bear with me until I can get this pc squared away once more and my Outlook Express program working again.. I am so sorry about not being able to reply or send out your prayer request or letters. It hurts me knowing that many of you need encouragement. comfort, and guidance.. But Our Heavenly Father knows best and I pray that our reuniting will soon come about.. Well Glory!

Now to update you on the happenings here at the Bar-K-Ranch.. Connie girl is doing much better today and I thank you all for your prayers.. Dianne is sick today and I suppose she caught whatever Connie had while she was helping her the other day.. Please remember her in your prayers... As for yours truly? Well I cleaned the kitchen today and this afternoon hooked the hay spear we just bought from my cousin on the 5610 tractor and carried two balls of hay to the horses.. Boy, were they glad to see me.. (smile) And since God has entrusted me with this nice new tractor I washed the mud off it and while I had the hose hooked up I even washed the garage floor... And when you think on it, nothing in our possession it truly ours. It is a loan from God and this is why we should take care of them and be thankful for His gifts to us... Well Glory!

II Thessalonians 2; 16, 17
[16] Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
[17] Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

We can look to God as our Father. We can have that personal sense of His love for us and His interest in us. Just as our earthly fathers are concerned about us even so much more is our Heavenly Father concerned for us. After all He gave His only Son for us and then sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in our every day lives. I can still hear that old song; Since Jesus came into my heart. Since Jesus came into my heart. Floods of joy ore my soul like the sea billows roll.....Since Jesus came into my heart.

Let us be thankful that Jesus saved our souls and came into our hearts and let us praise Our Heavenly Father for all the lovely things He has entrusted into our care. I’ve heard some say; God didn’t give me these things I have.. I worked and paid for them... But let me ask you this question... Who gave you the health, the ability to do the job your doing, the where with all to have enough since to get the things you have? You? Of coarse not.. It is by the grace of God, His Mercy, and His Love for His children that we have what we have... Therefore, let us love him and praise Him for truly He is worthy.... Well Glory!

Important

Good Morning Little Flock and Pray Warrior Team,
Well I do so hope that you all get this letter. It seems that Volaris and Earthlink is in their transition period and much of my mail is getting kicked back.. I am also having great difficulties staying on line.. And so if you get this letter save it for awhile or add my websites to you favorites so I don't lose contact with you.. I have my site address in the signature of this letter and should we get separated you will be able to get my new mail address from the web sites.. As soon as I get the new email addy I will post it on both the Heaven Bound and Allegre church site.. I am truly sorry for any inconveniences but I guess that these things happen from time to time...

I never did go back to bed yesterday morning after writing that, 'hopefully make you smile letter'.. I am not sure that it even made it out as I got an error message when I tried to send it to you all and I had to redo it and send it again.. Shortly after that I had a bad spell and ended up in the ole easy chair the rest of the day and didn't go to bed until after 4 this morning.. I seem to be feeling better right now and thought I had better come in here and write you to explain what happened and of coarse do the vote thing... (smile)

Besides, I believe that my ministry is rattling the chains of the Devil and he is behind some of this mail problems and the pains, problems and suffering which some of you and I are experiencing, and for that we should praise God, Well Glory! For if he, Satan, was leaving us alone I'd feel like I was doing something wrong and not serving my Lord and Saviour properly.. It just stands to reason. Why would Satan bother with someone if they weren't telling lost souls about the saving power of Jesus and trying to be a blessing to brothers and sisters in Christ who need uplifting?
But by the way things are going, this online ministry must be touching lives and being used in reaching out to others with the love of Jesus... For this I am truly grateful and praise His Holy Name... Well Glory! I didn't intend for this to be a thought for today but I hate to miss this opportunity since we are on this subject and I believe we can glean from these thoughts.. (smile)

I Peter 5: 5, 11
[5] Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
[6] Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
[7] Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
[8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
[9] Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
[10] But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
[11] To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

When is the last time ole slew foot jumped up in your face for trying to do something for the Lord? When was the last time you boldly stood your ground and witnessed for the One who saved your soul? When was the last time you shared with someone how Jesus saved you and told them your personal testimony? When was the last time Satan attacked you for serving Christ? Many questions for your inner self and to ponder over this morning, Isn’t it?

I believe Satan must be a gourmet devourer.. He doesn't always take one bite and swallow a Christian whole.. No, he takes little bites out of the Christian and mulls them around in his mouth.. Tearing away at a Christian’s faith one bite at a time until they either totally give up or become so weak that the power which lives within them is quenched.. And this is so sad, so terribly sad. And let's think about this a moment; That roaring lion is always seeking whom he may devour and he has learned every conceivable trick in the book. After all Satan has had over 2000 years to perfect his deceit and we have had less than 100 years to recognize it and defend..

We read and many use this all the time; ‘greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world’. And this is true. But? Satan is a worthy adversary and so many of his sneaky and trickery approaches catch the ones using this verse because they let their guard down.. In order for this verse to have effect against the devil the inner ingredient which lives in you must be activated. So many Christians go around spouting this verse with their defenses down and all the while the roaring lion is devouring them one bite at a time.. They aren’t wearing the armor of God and consequently fall by the way side.. And this my little flock is why we must be ever steadfast in the faith, wearing the armor provided of God, so that Our Lord may, “, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. “ (Perfect meaning here, ‘not without sin’ but ‘of full age or adulthood‘.)

Well I didn’t mean to get so long winded today so we’ll continue along this thought later, Lord willing. But for now let us rejoice when we are persecuted by Satan for serving Our Lord. For to be counted as a soldier of the cross of Christ is truly humbling and we should ever praise God for this privilege of being His servant, His soldier, His friend, and most importantly, His child...
May the praises of God ever cross our lips and come from our hearts.... Well Glory!

'A Friend In Jesus'

Good Morning Little Flock,

I pray that each of you are well and enjoying this day which God has given to us. It is a beautiful day here at the Bar-K-Ranch and the ground is covered with a new layer of snow.. The trees have ice hanging on them and are glittering and make them seem like glimmering crystals, simply beautiful.. I can’t remember seeing this kind of a snow this early in the year for a long time.. Normally we might get just a few snow flurries with little or none on the ground and if there was it was gone by noon.

Connie girl turned out the horses this morning and said they didn’t want to leave the barn.. Can’t say I blame them though.. Last evening when they came up they were covered in ice and snow and shivering.. They were sure happy to get into their stalls and out of the weather not to mention the almost 50 lbs of feed and hay which was there to eat.. They were happy little campers for sure. (smile)

This sure has been a strange week around here.. Can’t put my finger on it but it’s just going kinda odd.. Oh, while I’m still online and able to write you and thinking about it, Earthlink is getting ready to make it’s transition from Volaris. I started out using Apex as my server, then Volaris took them over and now Earthlink but I am not going to go with them so if I disappear for a few days don’t think anything happened to me.. I am going to make a change and as soon as I’m back I’ll write and give you all my new e-mail addy, OK? Don’t know what day they’ll cut me off but thought I’d let you know in advance.

Oftentimes you’ve heard me refer to Emma and her children, Thomas, Joseph, and Naomi who is married now to Marvin and have a little baby, Kaitlyn. Emma raised the children by herself since they were itty bitty. They are of the Mennonite faith and only recently left the horse and buggy era to driving trucks. I think of them as my adopted children and dear friends. Connie or I would go and get them every day and they would come and work with me building this house. Now I’m not a carpenter and they were young but between us managed to do a pretty good job.. Jimmy, Scott, and Eric helped some too but they were working then so couldn’t come much. Yep, I built this house with my own two hands along with the help of my friends and family. Quite an accomplishment for this ole country boy. (smile)

It took me a little over 3 years to build this home and the last year when Thomas. then age 15, went to work in the saw mill it slowed down some but we managed to finish it. They never charged a penny for helping and we had a great time working together.. Just wanted you to know who I am talking about when writing. Any way, Joseph called earlier and asked Connie if she needed anything from the store and a few minutes ago came up the hill in his 4 wheel drive... Isn’t it nice to have friends with 4 wheel drive? (smile) Jimmy had to park at the bottom of our hill last night after working 12 hours and walk up. Our drive is black topped but so steep and it is icy so without 4 wheel you just can’t make it up..
Just reminiscing about my friends and family today... hmmmmm! Friends and family!

John 15: 13, 15
[13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
[14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
[15] Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Isn’t it wonderful to have friends? We have friends who live close by and some far, far away. Many have friends we’ve never met on the web from all over the world.. It is said that if you make just one friend in this lifetime you are truly blessed and I feel that I have been blessed beyond measure because I have so many and we are like family. Yea, a family in Christ Jesus. But there is One Friend in particular which we sometime seem to neglect.. This Friend gave the greatest gift of all and died that we might have life. Wouldn’t it be a shame to leave Him out on His birthday? Let’s celebrate Jesus this Christmas!